Hot Rap Songs Review: 2000

Whistle While You Twurk-Ying Yang Twins: Ah, yes. The early days of crunk. While I do like some crunk every now and then, this subgenre has given us some… not-so good records like Ying Yang Twins’ Whistle While You Twurk. Like most crunk records of the time, it does have a bumping beat, but then there some really raunchy lyrics. And I mean raunchy. I know that’s to be expected out of crunk records, but this?

Everybody in the club know waz up {whistle}Whistle while you twurk (twurk)Go head and start and make that pussy fart {whistle}Whistle while you twurk (twurk some)

Make that pussy fart. Wow. I can see this being played at clubs, but outside of that, it’s not worth listening to. I’ve heard worse, but it ain’t good either. I give it a D.

Wobble Wobble-504 Boyz: 504 Boyz is a collection of artists signed to No Limit Records that consisted of most of the label’s main acts including the Miller brothers (Master P, Silkk The Shocker, C-Murder). It’s just like Young Money or YMCMB or Rich Gang or whatever the hell they call themselves these days. I saw that they have a song called Wobble Wobble and I was concerned. And my concerns were correct because oh boy, does this suck. The beat’s kind of a mess, all of the verses were terrible, and it’s about strippers with the chorus basically telling them to shake their asses. Because we don’t have enough strip club songs out there. Add it to the pile of awful No Limit songs. I give this an F.

Country Grammar (Hot Shit)-Nelly: It’s been a long time since I talked about Nelly. Most of it wasn’t exactly positive, but I do like some of his music. A lot of it was dumb, but he had a unique rapping style that incorporates melody that leads to some really catchy tracks and made him one of the biggest names in 2000s rap. This brings us to Country Grammar, which lets you know what to expect out of a Nelly record. A catchy chorus that interpolates a children’s song and Nelly’s signature singsongy flow. This would be the lead single to his debut album of the same name, which would eventually go diamond. It’s not exactly the best song ever made, but for what it is, it gets the job done. I give it a B.

Flamboyant-Big L: Big L was an upcoming rapper who had a huge following in the underground hip-hop scene and was signed to Columbia Records where he released his debut album. Sadly, on February 5, 1999, he was killed in a drive-by shooting. Since then, several posthumous albums were released. His biggest hit is called Flamboyant. I don’t listen to much Big L, but people have said that he’s a dope lyricist. Listening to Flamboyant, I can see why. The dude’s got bars and he was straight up spitting on this track. The beat sounds very 90s underground and it fits him. I’m surprised that a song like this would be this big of a hit on the rap charts. I give it an A.

Callin’ Me-Lil Zane ft 112:Most of the songs on this list I either have never heard or have forgotten about. Callin’ Me by Lil Zane falls in the former category as I have never heard of Lil Zane. Going by this song, I think I know why. 112 is the only memorable thing about this song because I got nothing out of this. Lil Zane isn’t bad, but he isn’t exactly that amazing either. The song is about being famous, which is ironic because this would be Lil Zane’s only hit single. Overall, I give this song a low C.

Bounce With Me-Lil Bow Wow ft Xscape: If you’ve read my Worst of 2000 list, you already know how I feel about this song. Everything I said about it still stands. Bounce With Me is a pop rap song with a weak ass beat, an unmemorable chorus from Xscape, and Lil Bow Wow not saying anything of worth. But this won’t be the last time I’ll run into this guy. This gets an F from me.

Move Somethin’-Talib Kweli & Hi-Tek (Reflection Eternal):Talib Kweli was one half of Black Star alongside Mos Def and he’s another dope ass lyricist who doesn’t get the credit he deserves. He teamed up with producer Hi-Tek to form Reflection Eternal and released their debut album Train Of Thought with Move Somethin’ as the lead single. This makes me want to check out the rest of the album because this song is great. The way Hi-Tek flips the sample for this beat was so dope. And then Talib Kweli brought in the bars and he killed it. The chorus could have been better, but everything else makes up for it. I give this song an A.

It’s OK-Slimm Calhoun ft Andre 3000: Another day, another one hit wonder rapper. This time, we’re looking at Slimm Calhoun for It’s OK. Honestly, the title doesn’t really fit as this isn’t okay, it’s actually terrible. We get another unflattering sex jam with a mediocre beat and a guy who’s all about stealing your girlfriend. Oh, and because he’s associated with OutKast, he got a verse from Andre 3000 and it’s wasted and phoned in, delivered with a higher, alien-like pitch. I know ‘dre’s an ATLien, but this does not fit this song. So disappointing. It’s an F for me.

Souljas-Master P: Oh, great. More Master P. Just what I wanted to hear. So. Souljas. It’s awful. I was expecting it to suck, but man, was this painful to listen to. The beat with horrible mixing and the sounds of marching, whistles, and the worst sound effect, Master P himself. His stilted flow and catchphrases are present and he still sounds like Frankenstein’s monster if he had IBS. Dear Odin, this is awful. This easily gets an F.

Baby If You’re Ready-Doggy’s Angels ft LaToiya: And we end on one of Snoop Dogg’s many pet projects, Doggy’s Angels. This all-woman rap trio released only one album that only spawned one hit in Baby If You’re Ready. It has a G-funk beat and competent rapping, but it’s really just another generic love song about the kind of guys all three of these ladies like. Oh, and there’s also Snoop Dogg doing the outro. Not bad, not great, it just exists. I give it a C.

BEST

Move Somethin’

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Flamboyant, Country Grammar

WORST

Souljas

DISHONORABLE MENTIONS

Bounce With Me, It’s OK

And those were the number one songs on the Hot Rap Songs chart of 2000. Next time, we look at the number one songs on the Hot Rap Songs chart of 2001.

Wobble Wobble has to be one of strangest yet lamest sounding song title I’ve ever heard (Speaking of the 504 Boyz, does their song “I Can Tell” fall under the “thugz need luv too” label?. And the lyrics to that awful Yin Yang Twinz song…what kinda drugs were they on? At least Nelly, Taleb Kweli and Big L’s posthumous release at least helped that year.

wow, I haven’t heard a large chunk of these songs, and most of the ones I have heard suck. I heard a couple of Talib Kweli and Hi-Tek songs, but I haven’t heard Move Somethin’. Might check it out at some point. I hear a lot about Big L, but I never bother to check out his music. I’ll have to change that some day since I hear great things about him and that he’s an underground legend. So the guy that had a rap verse on 112’s Anything actually had some buzz. From what I heard from him that song, it didn’t leave much of an impression, I doubt this song will change my mind. I’ve heard Whistle While You Twirk. I thought the Ying Yang Twins didn’t blow up until the crunk explosion of 2003/04, but apparetly I was wrong, and this was pretty early in their careers. Let’s be real, those guys are there for strip club and booty anthems, nothing more. Their stuff is very hit-and-miss. This is just meh. I’ll pass on anything Master P related. Make ‘Em Say Uhh is the only song of his I can listen and that’s mostly because of the other rappers and the beat, not him. Heard Wobble Wobble, it sucks, but the title was already gonna suggest that. Bow Wow to me is a rapper that gets more shit than he deserves. I never thought he was a bad rapper like people claim him to be, I thought he was decent and I’m not gonna lie, I like some of his music and his movie Like Mike is a classic to me. That said, Bounce With Me is not that great, and I don’t buy his posing as a kid. The rapping is alright and the chorus is slightly catchy, but the song itself isn’t good. I heard It’s OK back in 2000 when I first really started to watch music videos. Didn’t like it at all. Didn’t know who Slimm Calhounn was and didn’t care to find out. Never wanted to hear from him again. Country Grammar is the only good song I have heard. This kickstarted Nelly’s dominance as a solidified pop rapper, and yeah, he was good for the most part. This song is still a classic to me. Given the fact that 2000 was the first year I really started to listen to hip hop, I was expecting more songs I recognized. WAY too many songs that have been completely forgotten and by one-hit wonders. Oh well. Looking forward to the 2001 review.